Soulmate
by Di12381
Summary: A songfic from Belle's point of view. Natasha Bedingfield's "Soulmate". Her musings a few days after the encounter with the wolves


-Of course I do not own any of the characters, as usual; I am just temporarily borrowing them.

-Soulmate- by Natasha Bedingfield

Soul Mate

Belle woke up that day to see snow on the ground. It was the kind of winter day that was perfect, the snow still white, crisp and clean, without the wind and cold that had brought the snow a few days before.

After breakfast, she walked down to the stable; she coaxed Philippe out of the stable, though the horse was still spooked from the encounter with the wolves.

"It's only me" pulling the apple out of her pocket, knowing it was his favorite treat. Seeing the apple, the horse was coaxed out from the stable. Pulling herself onto the saddle, she traveled the perimeter of the vast property, before getting off and walking him to the center of the property.

Belle knew he was watching her; she had avoided him since the other night, when he had saved her from the wolves. Something had changed between them that night, but he was still what he was and she was unsure about him.

_Incompatible, it don't matter though  
'cos someone's bound to hear my cry  
Speak out if you do  
you're not easy to find_

Perhaps her dreams of finding her own prince charming had come from her own parents; her mother died when she was a child, her father often sharing stories of their love and life together, trying to give his daughter something of her mother. Or perhaps it was out of loneliness, not having any friends, relying on books to fill in the cavity and wanting what her favorite heroines had in their own stories.

It's not like she really wanted a prince, though it would be nice. The only she wanted was a man who would give her the love and respect that she craved. Maybe it was him, sitting on his balcony watching her, or maybe it was a man she had yet to meet.

_Is it possible Mr. Loveable  
is already in my life?_

Could it be that Gaston was the man for her? Part of convulsed into a momentary spasm, Gaston was the last man she would ever call her husband. He had already proven himself to be not what she wanted.

_right in front of me  
or maybe you're in disguise_

"What about him?" a voice in her head asked.

"No" she replied. Whatever he was, it would take a lot on his part to show her that he was different, though she wondered about the portrait of the young man she found just before her untimely exit. He was certainly handsome and looked nothing like her host. Who was this young man, and why was his portrait hanging in the beast's chambers?

_Who doesn't long for someone to hold  
who knows how to love you without being told  
somebody tell me why I'm on my own  
if there's a soulmate for everyone_

It's not like she needed a man, she had been forced into independence at an early age. Since her mother died and Maurice had not remarried, spending much of his time tinkering on his next invention, promising with each passing one that this particular contraption would make them wealthy. But no one of them really ever worked, forcing Belle to do what she could to survive.

But still, the dream of finding that one man who she could spend her life was a far fetched dream that she hoped would be a reality one day.

_Here we are again, circles never end  
how do I find the perfect fit  
there's enough for everyone  
but I'm still waiting in line_

She watched the other girls in her town when they married, the love radiating from their eyes as they stood with their grooms while the local friar blessed their unions and their parents looked on proudly as their daughters were married.

Of course, none of the eligible men ever looked at her that way, save for Gaston, but she had never even considered him. She often wondered if this was to be her life or maybe if fate had something else in mind for her.

_Who doesn't long for someone to hold  
who knows how to love you without being told  
somebody tell me why I'm on my own  
if there's a soulmate for everyone_

_Most relationships seem so transitory  
They're all good but not the permanent one_

Belle had often observed the other girls around her; most of them seemed to flirt with every man that came into town, without making a commitment to any particular man. If she would ever find a man she could give her heart to, it would be forever, but that meant finding the right man.

_Who doesn't long for someone to hold  
who knows how to love you without being told  
somebody tell me why I'm on my own  
if there's a soulmate for everyone_

_Who doesn't long for someone to hold  
who knows how to love you without being told  
somebody tell me why I'm on my own  
if there's a soulmate for everyone  
If there's a soulmate for everyone_

She knew he was still watching her, his eyes never seemed to leave her. Perhaps he was the one, perhaps the young man in the portrait and her host were one the same.

"Perhaps" she looked at him before returning to her walk with Philippe.

The End


End file.
